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mavi s ^TociYawi DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OF NEW YORK STATENEW YORK • 230 PARK AVE. • 212.679-2244 HEAL L. MOYLAN. coumssioiiEitALBANY . 112 STATE ST. . 518-474-3746 GUIN HALL. wan COUWSIOMK

ON MARKETING HANDCRAFTS

Aileen 0. WebbChairman of the Board, American Craftsmen's Council

Member, New York Women's Council

It is possible for a craftsman to make a very adequate living, butonly if he is willing to work really hard and to adapt his skillsto the problems of production and marketing. It is a rare personwhose product is so good that he can demand the highest prices forall his output. Inevitably, certain types of "bread and butter"merchandise must fill in the gaps between sales of the more ex-pensive items.

LET OTHERS DO SELLING

I do not think that a craftsman, can successfully both pro-duce and sell in his own shop. He can, if absolutely necessary,sell directly from his workshop; but, even then, he should limitthe hours when the public can come in. Nothing is more disturbingto production than to be interrupted — to drop one's work and tryto pick it up where one left off. If you plan to make a livingthrough your craft, it is far better to have an agent sell for youunless you have a husband or wife who can take that burden offyour shoulders. There are many such couples and they are indeedfortunate.

COMPUTING THE PRODUCT'S COST

The question of what one charges for work is of vital import-ance to success. This is a vast subject impossible to discussfully in this space. Basically, a craftsman's profit lies in hislabor, which should be about twice that of his costs of overhead,

rent, light, heat, materials, packaging, shipping and accounting.An additional sum may be added for pure profit as a hedge againstcontingencies if this does not overprice the object. Materialsshould be purchased in quantities for lowest price, whereverpossible. A craftsman should estimate his labor cost by the hour,taking into account the efficiency of his production and qualityof work. Thus, his labor cost may vary anywhere from $L.25 anhour up to $5.00, or in these days of high costs even more, de-pending largely on his skills. It is important that a craftsmanbe objective about his skills and prices until he has establishedhis reputation. His speed of production allows lower costs and .therefore greater profit. ;

HOW SELLING PRICE IS DETERMINED

In pricing, a craftsman nni'st always consider the ultimatecost to the consumer and take the following facts into consider-ation. If he sells through an agent, there is the additionalcost of the wholesaler's commissions - 20% to 25%' In turn, theretailer must realize at least a 50 markup. And so a productwhich costs a craftsman $5.00 to produce (including cost of laborplus a profit of $5.00) would have to be priced at $10.00 if soldretail directly by the craftsman; if sold by a retail store forthe craftsman, the cost to the purchaser would be $20.00; and iffirst sold through a wholesale agent to the retailer the cost tothe consumer could be $25.00. (The craftsman would sell the prod-uct for $1-0.00 to the agent, who in turn would offer it for $12.50to cover his 20% commission; and the retail outlet would doubleits costs to a' - Lhe $25.00 price.) ;' craftsman, however, ifhe sells the same articles in his own shop must maintain the retailprice asked by his agent for a similar piece, or his agent would nolonger be interested in carrying his work.

The public is very price-conscious; and though people willpay more for the unique and prestige piece with its personal flavorand quality, they will not pay as much more-as the craftsman oftenthinks they should.

IN SUMMATION

To sum up my advice to the craftsman, do not try to run yourown shop yourself. Get an agent to sell for you if some member ofyour family cannot do the day-to-day details of pricing and sell-ing. Study marketing and pricing, study the desires of the publicin relation to what you are capable of producing. If you must run

the shop, remember it must be done in a completely professionalmanner. The reason so many small businesses go bankrupt everyyear in this country is that people start with a glorious dreamthat all they need to do is open a shop and they will make a liv-ing for themselves. This couldn't be more fallacious. There arepamphlets and books — the American Craftsmen's Council is prepar-ing one — which give you excellent advice. I suggest that beforeyou undertake to market your own things in a shop or from yourstudio you study the whole problem of marketing with the greatestcare so as to avoid deep disappointment.

However, I do want to emphasize again, as I mentioned at theoutset of this very short statement, that if a craftsman is will-ing to work hard and is properly trained he can make a successfuland happy living and find for himself through his craft a life ofinterest, hard work, and achievement.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CRAFT PUBLICATIONS

Suggested by the Research & Education Department of the AmericanCraftsmen's Council, 29 West 53rd Street, New York, N. Y. 10019.

GENERAL •

SELLING YOUR CRAFTSby Norbert N. Nelsonpub: Reinhold, N.Y.C.

REINHOLD CRAFT AND HOBBY BOOKby Gunther VossReinhold, N.Y.C.

ENAMELING

METAL ENAMELINGby Polly Rothenbergpub: Cr"wn Publishers,

;I;:.:., N.Y.C.

ENAMELING PRINCIPLES ANDPRACTICEby Kenneth Batespub: World Publishing

Co., N.Y.C.

METAL

SIMPLE JEWELRYby R. W. Stevenspub: Watson-Guptil, N.Y.G.

METAL TECHNIQUES FOR CRAFTSMENby Oppi Untrachtpub: Doubleday & Co.,

Garden City, N. Y.

FABRIC

DESIGNING ON THE LOOMby Mary Kirbypub: Viking Press Studio, N.Y.C.

THE WEAVER'S BOOKby Harriet Tidballpub: Macmillan Co., N.Y.C.

FABRIC

WEAVING IS FOR ANYONEby Jean Wilsonpub: Reinhold, N.Y.C.

CREWEL EMBROIDERYby Erica Wilsonpub: Scribners,N.Y.C.

THE STITCHES OF EMBROIDERYby Jacqueline Enthovenpub: Reinhold, N.Y.C.

PRINTING ON TEXTILESby Janet Ericksonpub: Watson-Guptil, N.Y.C.

SILK SCREEN PRINTING PROCESSby Biegeleisen & Busenbarkpub: McGraw Hill Book Co.

N.Y.C.

BATIK: ART AND CRAFTby Nik Krevitskypub: Reinhold, N.Y.C.

MACRAME, THE ART OF CREATIVEKNOTTINGby Virginia Harveypub: Reinhold, N.Y.C.

RUG MAKING AND DESIGNby Mary Allardpub: Chilton, Philadelphia

THE TECHNIQUES OF RUG MAKINGby Peter Collingwoodpub: Watson-Guptil, N.Y.G.

THE HOOKED RUGby William W. Kentpub: Tudor Publishing Co.,

N.Y.C.

CERAMICS

COMPLETE BOOK OF POTTERY MAKINGby John B. Kennypub: Ghilton Co., Philadelphia

CLAY AND GLAZE FOR THE POTTERby Daniel Rhodespub: Chilton Co., Philadelphia

CERAMICSby Glenn C. Nelsonpub: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

N.Y.C.

STATE OF NEW YORKNelson A. Rockefeller, Governor

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENeal L. Moylan, Commissioner

WOMAN'S PROGRAMGuin Hall, Deputy Commissioner

Mary E. Tobin, Ass't Deputy Commissioner